Karen

Saturday Surfing, Nov. 9th, 2019

November 9th, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

In case you need to reach me, I’ll be at the Michaels in San Rafael, California, because apparently I live there now! ?

What is it about craft items I technically don’t need but desperately want? — like this Golden Girls cross stitch kit?! Never you mind that I’ve never stitched a cross in my life (?), but I want it anyway.

I’m going again later today to get some frosting tips and bags so I can practice piping cupcakes this weekend. Maybe some more cookie cutters, too, if I find some cute ones.

How about you? What are you up to?

Do you have a few minutes? Because here are some stories that caught my eye this week…

Everything you ever needed to know about eyebrow extensions (yup, you read that correctly)
Aaaaaand in this week’s edition of “Celebs Releasing Beauty Brands,” pop singer Kesha has a colorful new vegan makeup line.
The ultimate starter kit for men ? who are interested in wearing makeup but don’t know where to start
Can you tell if your eye makeup is actually eye-safe?
The mysterious black cat who stole the show during a Monday Night Football game is still on the loose!
Super important question —> Is Quilty the cat ? an escape artist or a criminal mastermind?
This famous photographer reveals why David Bowie wore red lipstick. (Side note: I wonder if he wore a matching lip liner, too?)

You’re too cool, Cher!

How pretty are these cupcakes?

Love these updo ideas

I hope you have a good rest of your weekend! Please tell me you’re doing something relaxing and fun. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S.

Oh, and this is kinda random, but you might remember that I tested some long-wearing, sweat-proof makeup to wear to the gym a few months ago, partly because my HIIT teacher asked me to be the gym’s member of the month, which involved us taking pics together during class, hence the makeup?

Well, I totally forgot about it until this week, when I noticed that the “Member of the Month” poster was up, and I’m in the pic! LOL.

Autumnal Dessert: 15-Minute Makeup With Chocolatey Reddish Brown Smoky Eyes and Matte Rosy Brown Lips

November 8th, 2019 by Karen 11 Comments

nars balboa — A classic fall combo: brown lids/brown lips

Luckily, I was wearing this chocolatey reddish brown smoky eye yesterday because I spent the majority of my shift at the bakery prepping dry chocolate cake mix from scratch…which may or may not have left me covered in a fine layer of cocoa powder.

(By the way, you haven’t lived until you’ve almost tipped an industrial-sized vat of cocoa powder on top of yourself. Yes…my life is a thrill a minute, I know. Side note: Holy crap, there’s SO MUCH SUGAR in chocolate cake mix!)

About the look

Apparently, the universe wanted me to be covered in chocolate in both the makeup and culinary sense, and these chocolate smoky eyes were super simple to do with a quick smudgy eye base from an opalescent bronze pencil eyeliner, which I topped with a matte reddish brown eyeshadow.

Matchy-matchy?

When I first started wearing eye makeup about one billion years ago, I believed that if you wore any matte finishes, then everything — your liner, your eyeshadow and your base — also had to be in a matching matte, but that’s so not the case. You can totally mix and match your finishes, which is what I did here with the pearly base and the matte eyeshadow to create a satin finish.

Feel free to play and layer different finishes if you don’t already, because you never know what you’ll cook up!

Playing with blending

Also, experiment with your blending. I’m normally inclined to “blow out” my eyeshadow, a.k.a. “blend out the edges so they fade out smoothly,” but I went for more definition at the edges in this look by choosing to not buff out the edges as much as usual… I kinda like it!

The more obvious edges of the eyeshadow are framed by a bolder brow, which I whipped up by mixing brow pencil with an eyeshadow.

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Ulta Hair Haul

November 7th, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

If you happen to be on the lookout for a new dentist, might I suggest finding one with an office in close proximity to an Ulta? Because, and I say this from personal experience, you will never miss another cleaning if you can simultaneously promise yourself that you can go to Ulta afterwards. LOL!

This celebratory hair haul happened this week because — woo-hoo! TMI moment ahead — my gums are in grrrrrrreat shape. My pockets are all twos and threes, with nary a deep pocket in sight.

Hence, the aforementioned victory lap around Ulta, and this much-needed hair haul!

First, the backstory… I went to put my hair up before work the other day and realized that most of my black ties and bobby pins were gone.

SERIOUSLY, where do they go?

(Does anybody actually look as cute as this girl on “The Fit Girl Club” headbands packaging when they work out? Because I look much, much scarier than she does when I drop down to do burpies…)

Anyway, I’m stoked about these bungee elastics because I read somewhere that one of my favorite hair stylists and makeup artists, Britt Sully, loves them for creating unfussy, casual cool-girl hair.

Also, I really hope these no-snag elastics do what they’re supposed to do, because I’ve been wearing Dutch braids quite often lately, and the elastics I’ve been using (I think they’re by Goody) keep breaking on me, and I pull hair out every time I remove them.

Really, how long do you think it’ll take before I lose these black hair ties? Honest question.

I give ‘em about six months before it’s “Welcome to the abyss!”

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3 Tips for Wearing Red Eyeshadow (and a 20-Minute Makeup Look)

November 6th, 2019 by Karen 18 Comments

viseart libertine — I may or may not be in my pajamas, FYI.

Fall-inspired look, TAKE TWO.

I think this one’s a little closer in terms of vibe to the Thanksgiving baking accouterments I found at Michael’s the other day… More fall, and less summer, with shimmery reddish copper lids, bronze cheeks and nude-beige lips.

I wore it to the bakery the other day… The bakery in my kitchen, THAT IS! Had this on while trying to work out the pumpkin/pecan cupcake situation (yes, this is a thing I’m working on). In a nutshell, I think I found a good balance between a spicy pumpkin cupcake, and brown sugar pecans, but that’s a story for another time…

As for this look, here are some things you may find helpful when wearing reddish copper eyeshadow, or really any shadows with red tones:

1. Full-coverage foundations make a HUGE difference

You know me; I like to wear as little as possible in terms of base products, but whenever I try to do minimal foundation/concealer that incorporates any sort of copper, coppery red or red eyeshadow, I look tired, messy and juuuuust not right. Babe, if you’ve got anything remotely red happening on your lids, then go for full-coverage foundation. A full-coverage base balances with the red eyeshadow’s POW! very nicely, methinks.

2. Tightline with a black liner

You need something like a black liner to add a visible “break” or barrier between your red eyeshadow and the whites of your eyes; otherwise, it can look kinda “off.” If black seems too harsh for you, try a dark brown.

3. Do your eye makeup first

Why? Because you want absolutely NO red underneath your lower lash line, and you’ll want to completely remove it before doing your base. Then, after you clean up, apply a concealer. I’m usually team “Skip the Under-Eye Concealer,” but in this case, I’m thoroughly on board, because, again, it can look weird if you skip it.

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Have You Stolen Any Beauty Secrets From Your Significant Other?

November 5th, 2019 by Karen 9 Comments

Dear El Hub…please don’t use my fancy shampoo as your body wash.

I would totally say “no” to this if it weren’t for one thing, because El Hub is very low maintenance.

Very.

I’ve been trying to get the man to use moisturizer and/or sunscreen for about one billion years, and he still rebuffs my efforts.

Be that as it may, there is one beauty-related tip I’ve learned from him, and it’s this: in a pinch, you can totally use shampoo as a body wash. Also, if you’re extra desperate, you can use shampoo as a face wash as well.

I know this because when he and I first moved in together, I used to buy these huge bottles of Bumble & Bumble shampoo and conditioner, and I remember going into the shower one day and noticing that it seemed like I was going through the shampoo faster than usual…so I asked him, “Are you using my shampoo? If you are, I totally don’t mind,” to which he said, “Yeah I am! That soap is really great! Thank you. I use it for everything.”

Wait, wait wait… Soap? I was like, WHAT?! Please don’t use my expensive Bumble & Bumble shampoo as your body wash, man! So, yeah.

Funny thing is, I’ve gone there myself over the years. I’ve used this shampoo-as-a-body-wash trick a few times, both as a body soap and as a shave gel on my legs and armpits, LOL! AND IT WORKS.

So, thank you, El Hub, for that nugget of knowledge. ??

How about you? Have you stolen any beauty secrets from your significant other?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Glowing Khaki Lids and Coral Lips (A 15-Minute Makeup Look)…and a Pumpkin Cupcake Question!

November 4th, 2019 by Karen 13 Comments

If you ever need to “improv” maracas (it could happen), just grab a jar of autumnal sprinkles, and give ’em a little shake! They’ll get the job done in a pinch.

Yes, Bon Jovi is FEELING IT.

I wore this khaki makeup look to the bakery last Friday, by the way.

autumn sprinkles — Fall colors AND an improv instrument in one fell swoop

It was inspired by this jar of mixed sprinkles and these fall leaf cupcake liners I found at Michaels.

Aren’t they pretty? I just love the greens and golds, and the little sugar dots have a subtle shimmer.

I was trying to channel fall via the khaki lids (which come courtesy of MAC Sumptuous Olive eyeshadow (an oldie but goodie) and Maybelline Jade Olive (a drugstore superhero), but it turned out more summery than I thought it would. HELLO, STORY OF MY LIFE.

mac sumptuous olive flat lay — I was going for fall colors, really!

I mean, I could’ve swapped the coral matte lip for something like MAC Burnt Spice, but I swear, I could not physically stop my hand from grabbing that coral. I saw my hand reach out, and I literally could not stop myself (coral addicts, you know what I’m talking about).

The glowing skin upped the summery-ness of the look even more, and that’s the work of this new-to-me product from It Cosmetics called Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer SPF 50+ in Tan.

I didn’t anticipate so much sheen from this tinted moisturizer. It’s very similar to NARS Pure Radiant — so it’s dewy, but with slightly more coverage and an even shinier finish. My skin ended up with a beach babe glow, and even though I tried to matte it down with a loose powder, it was still super shiny.

Basically, this stuff really wants to glow on your face!

Overall, I think it’s just OK… It doesn’t feel heavy, which is nice, and it does give a good amount of coverage, but I’m not crazy about the Tan color (I think it’s a little too gray on me) or how the finish seems to amplify the size of my pores.

Anyway, I’m gonna take another crack at another autumnal look again soon, perhaps with a brown smoky eye, or — ooh! — maybe a cranberry smoky eye with gold liner? We’ll see what happens… I have to admit that there still exists a slim chance that whatever I do will go summery again, because that’s just the story of my makeup life, HA HA HA!

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Makeup and Beauty Blog Monday Poll, Vol. 599

November 4th, 2019 by Karen 33 Comments

So…what is the Monday Poll?

Excellent question! It isn’t, contrary to its name, an actual poll, like with little clicky buttons. It’s just a list of five more or less random questions I’ve been posting on this blog every Monday morning for the past quadrillion years (since 2007). I love reading your answers, and it helps me get my week off to a good start.

1. Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?

Man…it used to make me really crabby to see Christmas decorations up at stores and stuff and on houses BEFORE Halloween, but now I’m kind of like, “Eh, let ’em live.” It’ll be Thanksgiving in literally (OK, figuratively) the blink of the eye, so if somebody wants to put up their Vegas-style lights already, I’m not gonna hate. It makes my world brighter, so I’m cool with it. I will, however, be waiting until the week before Thanksgiving to put up my Christmas decorations around the house.

2. Skin care or hair care?

Homie, don’t make me choose! — but seeing as how I usually put my hair up and back because it’s part of my dress code at the bakery, I’ll pick skin care… I’ve been all about moisturizing potions lately.

3. Hot chocolate or hot tea?

Mmm… Seeing as how I discuss my sweet tooth often, you might think I’d lean more toward hot chocolate, but I actually prefer hot tea.

Basically, I’m picky about my hot chocolate. I don’t like when it doesn’t taste chocolaty and all you can taste is sugar, and I also don’t like when there isn’t any milk in it, so you don’t get that sensation of milk coating your tongue (I know, such a weirdo). Also not my fave: when the marshmallows are too big, or when there are too many marshmallows… Point is, I’m really picky about my hot chocolate, and I’m less picky about tea (just please leave the bag in there for at least five minutes).

4. What’s the best/worst thing about “adulting”?

The best thing? Being able to make decisions for myself (good or bad ones) and know that they’re 100% my decisions, because there wasn’t a lot of that happening in my family growing up (Asian tiger parents and all).

And the worst thing? UGH, when you find yourself in a situation where all of your options are sh*tty, LOL! So like you have to pick between the least sh*tty option… That sucks! Oh, and paying bills, of course. Oh, and knowing that you have to “adult” for the rest of your life because there’s no turning back!

5. Are you the type of person who needs a list when you go grocery shopping, or do you like to wing it when you get there?

Girl, please. Give me a list; otherwise, I’ll throw all sorts of nonsense into my cart and promptly forget to buy all of the important things.

Sing it loud

Heya! Monday is the best day… Yes, I just sang that out loud, I hope you know, and I’m doing it because I’m trying to psych myself up to have a great week.

You gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Also, after the fires and power outages last week…this week has to be better! Heck, I’m just happy to be in my house again and able to turn on the lights… It’s the little things, really.

How are you doing this morning? Did you turn all your clocks back?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Here are the questions to copy/paste with your answers in a comment. Talk to ya soon.

1. Is it too early to put up Christmas decorations?
2. Skin care or hair care?
3. Hot chocolate or hot tea?
4. What’s the best/worst thing about “adulting”?
5. Are you the type of person who needs a list when you go grocery shopping, or do you like to wing it when you get there?

P.P.S. In case someone hasn’t told you lately, you’re brave and you’re tough. ❤️

Sundays With Tabs the Cat, Makeup and Beauty Blog Mascot, Vol. 578

November 3rd, 2019 by Karen 6 Comments

Tabs was a real dynamo, in more ways than one. He was also a skilled dynamo operator.

Dynamo, as in one of those emergency radios with the hand crank you can turn to juice them up. I’ll never forget the time we lost power at the home office for three days, and Tabs kept the entire office running through sheer force of will and gravy-fueled feline ingenuity.

If you heard him tell it, he would say that he did what he had to do…to keep kitty modeling, because this was back in 2014, which was at the peak of his modeling career. He always had a full plate of gigs lined up, and he did that week too.

When the power went out around 8 a.m. on that fateful Tuesday, Tabs was shooting a photo spread for Chanel…

But he didn’t panic. Not for a second. He kicked it into high gear. He knew he had to keep the photography lights on and needed to be able to hear the news, so he pulled out his trusty emergency radio and started cranking.

Then he climbed up on the roof and made sure the office solar array was working.

Thankfully, it was! So we were able to keep the lights on AND the gravy refrigerator running.

Ours was the only building in the neighborhood that had power, so Tabs invited all the local kitties who didn’t have power at home over to the office so they could store their gravy in the company fridge.

That’s just the kind of cat he was. ?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen